Note of Meeting 20th April 2022

This document contains a summary of the Cairngorms Local Outdoor Access Forum (LOAF) meeting on 20 April, where attendees discussed the NatureScot Scientific Advisory Committee's report on capercaillie. The report states that the species could become extinct without action, with 95% of the UK population living in the Cairngorms National Park. The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) is consulting with stakeholders about the report's recommendations, including diversionary feeding of predators, predator control, fence marking, and creating refuges by closing paths, with the LOAF focusing on access rights. The meeting covered available mechanisms for managing public access, such as signage, site planning, and formal measures like Section 29 notices and bylaws, as well as the need for research and possible interventions like signage and infrastructure changes.